We understand that you may have some questions about your savings account, or a savings account you manage on behalf of someone else. Below we have answered some of our most frequently asked questions. If your question isn't on here, please call our Savings Account Service Team on 03300 243411.

What are the general conditions for your savings accounts?

You can download a copy of our general conditions for our savings accounts here.

How do I set up a new nominated account for withdrawals from my savings account?

We will require proof of the new account in the form of an original statement which is less than three months old, an original paying in slip or an original cheque which is crossed through as cancelled. In addition, if the savings account with us is an online account please also make an online request for the new bank details to be added to your log-in. Please note we can only make payments into an account in your own or a joint name.

Who should I make a cheque payable to?

Cheques should be made payable to 'National Counties Building Society' followed by your account number.

I have a Cash ISA that I did not pay into in the previous tax year. What should I do?

If you wish to deposit into an existing Cash ISA and you have not deposited in the current or previous tax year, then you will need to complete a Cash ISA Renewal Form and return it to us. Please ensure that the existing ISA you wish to pay into is still accepting funds. For a copy of the Renewal Form, please contact our Savings Account Service Team on 03300 243411 or alternatively, you can download it here.

A relative is deceased. What should I do to inform you of the death?

To begin the process we will require an original death certificate along with a covering letter stating the correspondence address of the executor.

I have changed address. How do I inform you of this?

You can notify us of a change of address over the phone, after security tests have been passed, or in writing by filling in our Change of Address form. Alternatively if you have online access to your account you can notify us by way of a secure message.

How do I close my Online Saver account?

Provided that we have previously seen proof of your nominated bank details then a request to close the account can be made by a secure message. Please be aware that as the maximum withdrawal allowed is £25,000 per day, a number of withdrawals may first be required before the account can be closed. I have a Branch Saver Account. Can I make withdrawals through the post?

All withdrawals from our Branch Saver Account must be made in person at our Epsom branch with the account passbook. Please also be aware that if you would like a cheque to be made payable to a third party then please bring identification with you such as an original in date passport or driving licence.

What are your bank details to make an electronic payment into my account?Please click here for our bank details.

How can I put my account on notice?You can put your account on notice by either writing to us at National Counties Building Society, Ebbisham House, 30 Church Street, Epsom, KT17 4NL or by telephoning our service team on 03300 243411. Alternatively if you have set up online access for your accounts you will able to send us a secure message via the Online Service. Please be aware once we have received your instruction we will send you a counterpart withdrawal form, this must be signed and returned to us before your account reaches the end of its notice period so that we will be able to make the withdrawal for you.

What is Power of Attorney (POA)?A Power of Attorney is a legal document which allows you (‘the Donor’) to appoint one or more people (‘the Attorney’) to help you make decisions or make decisions on your behalf. The Power of Attorney document is set up whilst you are fully capable of making your own decisions and normally only takes effect if your mental capacity changes and requires the Attorney to make decisions on your behalf.

A ‘Deputy’ arrangement is very similar to a Power of Attorney; however it is not arranged prior to a situation occurring where mental capacity has diminished. It usually only happens if the person who lacks capacity to make decisions has not made a Power of Attorney but suddenly requires assistance with their finances.

How do I register a Power of Attorney and what identification documentation is required?You will need to complete a Power of Attorney Form and return it to us with an original or certified copy of the POA documents and identification for each Attorney. If you are a new member we will check your identity by making searches about you at a credit reference agency that will supply us with information. If we are unable to verify your identity by this method we will advise you of the additional documentation required to complete the account opening process.

If you already have a National Counties Building Society or Family Building Society savings or mortgage account, your signature matches our records and your name & address haven’t changed, you will not need to provide further evidence of your identity. If you are a new customer or an existing customer opening a new account(s), you and the Attorney will also need to complete the relevant account application.

How do I register a Court of Protection Order and what ID documentation is required?You will need to complete a Deputy Details Form and return it to us with an original copy of the Court of Protection Order and identification for each Deputy. If you are a new member we will check your identity by making searches about you at a credit reference agency that will supply us with information. If we are unable to verify your identity by this method we will advise you of the additional documentation required to complete the account opening process. If you already have a National Counties Building Society or Family Building Society savings or mortgage account, your signature matches our records and your name & address haven’t changed, you will not need to provide further evidence of your identity.

If you are a new customer or an existing customer opening a new account(s), the Deputy will also need to complete the relevant account application.

What is a Third Party Mandate?A Third Party Mandate is a document that tells us we can accept instructions regarding your account from a specific named person of your choosing (‘the Third Party’). A Third Party Mandate is not normally a permanent instruction and needs to be renewed annually if it is still required. It is useful for circumstances where you are unable to attend your local branch due to injury or illness or you are moving away and need someone else to maintain your account for you etc.

How do I set up for Third Party access and what ID documentation is required?In order to set up your Third Party Mandate you will need to complete the Third Party Mandate Form and return it to us along with identification for the Third Parties and the completed product application form for the product you require.If you are a new member we will check your identity by making searches about you at a credit reference agency that will supply us with information. If we are unable to verify your identity by this method we will advise you of the additional documentation required to complete the account opening process.

If you already have a National Counties Building Society or Family Building Society savings or mortgage account, your signature matches our records and your name & address haven’t changed, you will not need to provide further evidence of your identity.

When will my Third Party Mandate finish?We will contact you when it is nearing the one year point to check if you wish to continue with the mandate or not. If you wish to continue the mandate arrangement you will need to fill in another Third Party Mandate Form which we will provide in our letter. Your Third Party Mandate arrangement will end one year from set up.

How do I open an account with a Power of Attorney / Deputy arrangement? How do I open an account as an Attorney / Deputy?To open an account you will need to complete, sign and return the relevant account application form. For accounts that cannot be opened online, you can download the application form from the product page and for those accounts that are opened solely online you will need to contact our New Savings Account Enquiry Team on 03300 243413 as Attorneys, Third Parties and Deputies are unable to open or operate accounts via our Online Service. Once you have obtained the correct application form you will also need to fill in a Third Party Request Form or a Power of Attorney Form and return this and your application form to our New Savings Account Enquiry Team. If you are unable to access our website to download the forms, please call our New Savings Account Enquiry Team and they will be able to send one to you in the post.

I am an Attorney / Deputy / Mandate holder and I have an account query. Who should I contact?For queries relating to accounts that already have a Power of Attorney, Deputy or Third Party Mandate, please contact our Savings Account Service Team on 03300 243411.

What happens to my ISA savings when I die?When you die your spouse or civil partner can inherit your ISA savings and keep them with a tax-free status. The value of your ISA(s) will be calculated from the day you die. Your spouse or civil partner can apply to inherit your savings in the form of an allowance, which is also called an ‘additional permitted subscription’ or APS allowance. Your spouse or civil partner’s own individual ISA allowance (£20,000 for 2017/18 tax year) will be unaffected.

You don’t have to leave your spouse or civil partner your money in your will for them to benefit from the APS allowance. Instead, you could leave the savings you’ve built up to someone else in your will, for example, one of your children, and your spouse or civil partner will still be able to apply for APS allowance. Their APS allowance would be up to the value of your ISA, although your spouse or civil partner would need to use their own money to save into it.

If you have inherited your spouse or civil partner’s ISA(s), the APS allowance is only allowed if they died on or after 3 December 2014.How long is the APS allowance available for?The APS allowance is available for three years after the date of death, or for up to 180 days after administration of the estate is complete, whichever is the latter. This is known as the ‘permitted period’. If your spouse or civil partner died between 3 December 2014 and 5 April 2015, the three years is counted from 6 April 2015.Does my spouse or civil partner have to use all or any of the APS allowance?Your surviving spouse or civil partner is under no obligation to use all or any of the APS allowance, but they must make an APS application to their chosen ISA manager during the ‘permitted period’ otherwise the allowance will be lost.I am a long-term partner but we are not married or in a civil partnership. Is my spouse or civil partner still entitled to the APS allowance?No. HMRC has expressly stated that the new rules apply only to the formalised relationships of marriage or civil partnership.How can I ensure my spouse or civil partner gets the APS allowance?We require a Grant of Probate if the total amount in the ISA is £5,000 or more. An appropriate Statutory Declaration can be drawn up if the total amount in the ISA is less than £5,000 in order to release the funds for the transfer to take place. Can my spouse or civil partner transfer the ISA to an existing or new account within National Counties Building Society? Yes. We would require the Grant of Probate or the witnessed Statutory Declaration together with identification from the Executors if they are not already known to us.

If the surviving spouse or civil partner is an existing customer, we can accept a written and signed declaration covering the following points:

A formal request to transfer the funds to their ISA with the Society.

A declaration that they are the surviving spouse or civil partner.

Confirmation of the date of marriage or civil partnership.

Confirmation that they resided at the same address as the deceased upon the death of their spouse or civil partner.

Confirmation that they were not separated.

Alternatively, a Deceased Transfer Authority form can be requested and completed by the surviving spouse or civil partner together with identification and Probate documents.

If a new ISA is required to transfer the APS allowance, an application form will need to be completed by the surviving spouse or civil partner and sent to us with the requested Probate documents and identification. My spouse had an ISA(s) with another provider. How can I transfer my APS allowance to you?A request can be made directly to the other provider. We will need signed instructions from the Executors or the surviving spouse or civil partner, together with the funds, the Grant of Probate (if available) and a letter from the provider stating the ISA balance at the date of death. We will then transfer the APS allowance to an existing or new account with us. Alternatively, a Deceased Transfer Authority Form can be requested from us and completed by the surviving spouse or civil partner in order for us to request the transfer of the funds from the other provider. How can I transfer my APS allowance from you to another provider?A transfer authority form is required from the other provider completed by the surviving spouse or civil partner together with the Grant of Probate (if available) and identification.

Alternatively, on receipt of the Probate documents and closure/transfer form from the Executors, the full balance of the ISA(s) can be sent to the surviving spouse or civil partner who can then apply to place their APS allowance with the other provider.

Why is my new account not showing online?If your account with us is not showing online, let us know by sending a secure message with your new account number. We will register your account online within 24 hours or contact you if we need any more information.

I gave my nominated account details when I opened the account. Why can I not see them?We can only approve bank details if we have seen evidence to confirm the sort code and account number is held in your name. If this was not included in your initial application, please send us one of the following:

A cheque crossed 'cancelled'

A paying in slip

A recent original bank statement

A printed online bank statement

Alternatively, you can upload your online statement using our 'Document Upload' feature found by selecting 'Savings' on our home page or by clicking here.

When will I receive my funds after making a withdrawal?All withdrawal requests need to be made before 3pm to ensure they are processed the same day. Any requests after this time will be processed the next working day. Funds are guaranteed to be in your nominated bank account by the close of business the day after your request was processed.

Authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. National Counties is on the Financial Services Register Firm Reference Number: 206080